15 Ways To Inspire And Motivate
The current economic climate requires leaders/directors to
continuously be at their best and the extent to which managers/employees
are engaged and willing to go the extra mile for the organisation is
critical to success. With a flat economy there is the temptation to
operate and manage by fear ("you're lucky to have a job…. so just get on
with it or I'll find someone else").
As difficult as the situation may be, leaders have a great
opportunity and responsibility to be inspiring and motivating. An
inspired employee gives their best and uses their skills and talents to
their full potential. So what can be done to improve morale, increase
job satisfaction, gain greater employee engagement and empowerment?
An interesting place to start is with an understanding of why people
are often unhappy in their jobs. Patrick Lencioni focused on three
universal causes as to why people do not enjoy their job:
Anonymity: People who see themselves as invisible, generic or anonymous cannot love their jobs.
Irrelevance: Everyone needs to know that their job matters - without
seeing a connection between work and the satisfaction of another person
or group of people, an employee will not find lasting fulfilment.
Immeasurement: Employees need to gauge their progress and level of
contribution for themselves as motivation will deteriorate if people see
themselves as unable to control their fate.
So how do we address these? - Well obviously there is no magic wand
but here are 15 principles for inspiring your employees that you can
take action on today. Implement one of these principles and make a
difference. Implement all of them and change the culture you live and
work in.
1. Firstly It Starts With YOU! Do not expect others to be inspired or
motivated if you're not! Be passionate about the mission and goals of
your organisation. Work and act enthusiastically; take responsibility
don't blame others for failings; "walk the talk"; persevere. Work with a
coach if you recognise that you have difficulties in this area.
2. Share Your Mission, Values and Beliefs With Every Employee. Make
sure that everyone in your organisation is aware of the company's
mission, purpose, and goals. Remind people of these at the beginning of
meetings or internal presentations, Use motvational posters to reinforce
the messages that the company is committed to. Recognise that it is
much more exciting to be sharing in an exciting mission with a strong
sense of purpose than to just accomplishing an unrelated work task.
3. Focus On The People You recruit. Chose people who are naturally
motivated - who have a sense of pride; who are willing to "go the extra
mile"; who understand that "good enough" never is; who have an attention
to detail; who asses their own work independently of others. Test for
these attributes during the interview stages of recruitment.
4. Make Sure That You Give Accurate, Sincere, Generous And Fair
Feedback. Studies have proven that people are far better motivated by
the use of positive feedback. Rather than focusing on employees'
weaknesses, focus on their strengths, and praise them whenever praise is
deserved. Recognition of good work goes a long way to keeping employees
motivated. It can be a non-monetary reward such as public praise or
simply writing a thank-you note for any special effort. Rewards don't
have to be expensive: a bottle of wine, chocolates, cakes, gift
certificate can all be appreciated just as much as a big bonus. If
mistakes do happen, public criticism will only result in demotivation,
deal with the matter in private with constructive criticism.
5. Avoid Micro Management. Although employees need to know when and
how tasks need to be performed, they cannot work to their full potential
when they are being overly micromanaged. This type of management
creates an atmosphere of distrust, and leads to underperformance,
inefficiency and ineffective behaviours. Giving employee's autonomy and
trust, with accountability, is far more effective and engenders a real
sense of personal accomplishment.
6. Provide Learning and Development Opportunities. When someone gets
to do what they do best every day, motivation and inspiration are
automatic. Training and career development opportunities should always
be encouraged when possible as this will contribute to an employee's
satisfaction and self-actualisation.
7. Set SMART Objectives. Ensure that the objectives that you set are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed.
8. Create A Positive "Can Do" Environment. One of best way to
generate a "can do" attitude was to ask: "What if? Why not? If only? How
about?' Give employees opportunities to explore, investigate and
experiment around new ideas and actively encourage such positive
behaviours. Avoid an over restrictive/bureaucratic environment.
Recognise that risk is a central requirement to growth and positive
change. Allow input into decisions; introduce variety; explain the
significance of a person's job. Staff in general always prefer to feel
that they can be part of the solution rather than being considered as
part of the problem.
9. Use Behavioural Profiles. Have DiSC or Myers Briggs (or similar)
behavioural profiles undertaken for all members of your team to help
with team development and their appreciation of different reactions to
different situations. Share the profiles with everyone in your team
10. Connect With Peoples Aspirations. Understand the dreams and
aspirations of your staff. Try to align their job tasks for today with
their dreams for tomorrow. Demonstrate that you are committed to helping
them get to where they want to go.
11. See The Abilities They May Not See in Themselves. This principle
works best by breaking it down into three steps, notice, name, and
nurture. After you have noticed a talent or strength in a person, let
them know you noticed it and be specific about what you noticed. Don't
just say "I noticed you are a hard worker." Rather, "I notice you care
very deeply about solving customer's complaints quickly." Look for ways
to bring that talent out by providing opportunities and training to
support that particular talent.
12. "Walk The Talk." To motivate and inspire others it's important
that you are seen to be credible and lead with moral authority. Make
sure that you do what you say you're going to do, follow-through and not
just making empty promises.
13. Inspire With Great Stories And Quotes. How many times have you
been fascinated by a good story/quote? How many times have you pushed
yourself harder after hearing the story of someone else's success, or
changed your opinion after reading a convincing article in a magazine or
newspaper? There's no doubt that stories and quotes can change the way
we think, act, and feel. Leaders, especially, can use the power of a
good quote to influence and motivate their teams to new heights. Stories
can inspire everything from understanding to action. They can create
legends that an entire workplace culture can build upon, and they have
the power to break down barriers and turn a bad situation into a good
one. Quotes and stories can capture our imaginations and make things
real in a way that cold, hard facts can't. Use motivational posters to
provide a reminder of these learning's.
14. Help People To Live With A Purpose. Help employees to get a
positive work-life balance. Help people have a vision for their life
first and for their job second. If work can be a conduit towards that
vision for life then even better.
15. Encourage Employees' Opinions and Ideas. Actively listen to your
employees. Honestly evaluate what they have to say, without letting
your ego get in the way, and you will probably learn something that
benefits your business. Seek out the opinions and ideas of your workers
with the goal of implementation; employees will feel truly valued as an
integral part of shaping the success and future of your organisation.
Suggestion boxes, meetings and group discussions are a few ways in which
employees can contribute their ideas, but they should be made to feel
that their feedback is welcome at any time.
Focusing on raising the motivation and inspiration results in
incredible value for employees, stakeholders, customers, and employees
alike.
